Wednesday 11 June 2008
US08: strange landscape for foreign visitors
The gloves are now coming off in this presidential race and it's not found at the campaign rallies, during media interviews or in general 'speechifying'.
No, the gloves are coming off on Capitol Hill as members of the House and Senate prepare to do battle for either the Republican or Democratic candidate.
It's the Democrats (currently dominating the Hill) who predictably have landed the first punches because of the close identification with George W. Bush displayed by Republican candidate, John McCain.
The Washington Post journalist and self-declared Democrat, Walter Pincus, wrote this piece last Sunday reporting that a Senate intelligence committee had supported the claims that Bush's inner Iraq Group had lied about the reasons the Coalition of the Willing went to war.
US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence link to report here.
By Monday, former Democratic presidential nominee Dennis Kucinich (supposedly against the wishes of his party) laid before the House 35 articles alleging high crimes and misdemeanors by George W. Bush and seeking impeachment.
McCain now has to continue answering for an unpopular president and an unpopular war.
At least in this first week of the battle proper ,and in spite of Obama's 17-day "economic tour", it's not yet about the economy stupid.
Finally, the truth begins to emerge on why Howard's friend Bush went to war in Iraq
Senate Intelligence Committee Unveils Final Phase II Reports on Prewar Iraq Intelligence
-- Two Bipartisan Reports Detail Administration Misstatements on Prewar Iraq Intelligence, and Inappropriate Intelligence Activities by Pentagon Policy Office --
Contact: Wendy Morigi (202) 224-6101
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Washington, DC -- The Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, and a bipartisan majority of the Committee (10-5), today unveiled the final two sections of its Phase II report on prewar intelligence. The first report details Administration prewar statements that, on numerous occasions, misrepresented the intelligence and the threat from Iraq. The second report details inappropriate, sensitive intelligence activities conducted by the DoD's Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, without the knowledge of the Intelligence Community or the State Department.
National Whale Day 14-15 June 2008
Show your support this weekend for these magnificent creatures which inhabit Australian territorial waters.
Link to National Whale Day website here.
Some NSW land-based vantage points for sighting whales:
- Cape Byron state recreation Area near Byron Bay
- Broken Head Nature Reserve near Byron Bay
- Solitary Islands Marine Park north of Coffs Harbour
- Hat Head National Park near Kempsey
- Crowdy Head National Park near Taree
- Tomaree National Park near Nelson Bay
- Barrenjoey Headland in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park near Sydney
- North Head in Sydney Harbour National Park
- Cape Solander in Botany Bay National Park at Kurnell
- Jervis Bay National Park near Nowra
- Ben Boyd National Park near Eden
Clarence Valley will be celebrating National Whale Day on Sunday 15th June.
* At Pilot Hill, Yamba, where the mouth of the Clarence River meets the Pacific Ocean.
Starts at 11a.m. and includes whale watching and interpretive session with National Parks & Wildlife, community whale wall and family barbecue. Everyone is welcome.
Come and show support for the Valley's adopted humpback whale, Yuraygir.
Further information phone: (02) 6643.0200 Susan Lynch - Clarence Valley Council
Heard 'round the traps
"I've seen the future. I can't afford it."
Tuesday 10 June 2008
A reminder to Pandora Archives on the folly of Internet censorship
This resource has been restricted in Pandora
Access to this item is restricted for 70 Year(s) from the date of archiving. During this period it is only accessible to National Library staff for preservation purposes.
Which begs the question - haven't the archives heard of the Internet Wayback Machine which happily allows everyone who read Club Troppo's Missing Links yesterday to find out what Caz and The Hack had been up to (over 50 snapshots of homepages) even if they had never followed that contentious blog.
All the Australian Government's Pandora Archives has done with its 70 year restriction is hold government up to ridicule.
Well done, NSW North Coast
An Order of Australia Medal (OAM) to Jim Agnew of Yamba, who has been taking on government and bureaucracy for years in an endeavour to obtain decent health care for his town.
An Order of Australia (OA) to Elizabeth Davies of Minnie Waters and Braunstone, for her long service to nurse and midwifery education.
An Order of Australia (OA) to Laurie Marchant of Grafton, for services to the community spanning decades.
An Order of Australia Medal (OAM) to John Beasley of Lennox Head, for services to the lifesaving movement.
An Order of Australia Medal (OAM) to John Mace of Northern Rivers, for his work with bush fire brigades.
An Order of Australia Medal (OAM) to James Crethar of Goonellabah, for his work with youth in the Lismore area and beyond.
And to any other NSW North Coast quiet achievers I may have missed here - well done!